Wherever you go these days social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others are a permeating force in the general populous, and thus have become an excellent source of advertising for businesses of all sizes. With a little help, any business can harness the energy of social media to their advantage. Here are a few tips to get started.

Be Personable

According to Restaurant Den one of the best things a business can do on social media is to not be a business, instead being more of a “person”. The business must create a voice, an identity, which it posts as. Rather than posting bland promotional sounding updates which simply announce an event such as a sale or happy hour, the post should endeavor to be more “personal”. For example, a post might go like this, “Hey everyone, its Joe from Joe’s Bar and Grill. We just got a great deal on some beef so I’m passing that deal on to all of you: 25% off all burgers this weekend!” instead of simply “25% off burger sale this weekend at Joe’s”.

Employ Videos and Pictures

Everyone enjoys cool, informative, or funny pictures and videos posted by their friends on social media. This is true of your business’ fans on social media as well. The key for a picture is to present something that will catch the attention of your fans. Include things beyond simple pictures of your products, by attaching people and names to the pictures you post. For example Joe’s Bar and Grill might want to post a picture of a new dish they are adding to the menu, so rather than simply posting a picture of the new dish, they post a more complete image of the new dish freshly made with the proud chef or a server alongside it. Videos add an extra touch of difficulty. On top of the need to be personable, they must also not be too long that they lose the interest of the casual social media viewer, while still taking enough time to communicate the message. A good video also has smooth transitions, uses good lighting, and has clear audio.

Share on Other Profiles

Sarah Quinn states in this articlethat many internet users who like or are fans of one of your social media profiles, like Facebook, would likely also be interested in another, such as Instagram. When a business posts on one social media site and shares it on another, it increases brand exposure and advertising saturation, and helps expand your online audience.

Ask Your Audience What They Want

Your readers and fans are your customers and the backbone of your business, so naturally you want them to be happy. If you don’t know what they want, you should ask them. Ask your fans what they love about your business and what it could do better. Ask them what they would like to see added or improved upon in your panel of services or offerings. Keep in mind, if you do this it is also important to follow up on the desires of your audience, and provide evidence of it on social media. In addition to improving your business, this also builds upon the personality of your profile as is mentioned above.